Apparatus and method for controlling display in electronic device having processors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016247306-A1
Application number	US-201615051867-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Feb 24, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for controlling a display so as to reduce power consumption in an electronic device having a plurality of processors are provided. The apparatus includes a display and a control unit. The display is configured to display information formed by a first image and a second image. The first image corresponds to a partial region of the information, and the second image corresponds to a background region of the information. The control unit includes a first processor and a second processor. The processor may be configured to transmit the first image to the second processor in response to a request for displaying the information on the display. The second processor may be configured to store the second image in a memory and control the display to display the received first image together with the second image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for controlling a display in an electronic device, the apparatus comprising:
a display configured to display information formed by a first image and a second image, the first image corresponding to a partial region of the information, and the second image corresponding to a background region of the information; and a control unit including a first processor and a second processor, wherein the first processor is configured to transmit the first image to the second processor in response to a request for displaying the information on the display, and wherein the second processor is configured to:
store the second image in a memory, and
control the display to display the received first image with the second image.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first processor comprises a micro controller unit (MCU) and the second processor comprises a display driver integrated circuit (DDI).

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first processor comprises an application processor (AP) and the second processor comprises a micro controller unit (MCU), and wherein the second processor is integral to the first processor.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first processor is an AP and the second processor is a display driver IC (DDI).

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to transmit the first image to the second processor when the first processor enters a sleep mode.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the memory is configured to store the first image and the second image, and wherein the first image includes header information, vector information, and pixel information.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the partial region corresponding to the first image based on the header information, the vector information, and the pixel information.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
connect to an external electronic device, and control the external electronic device to display the first image and the second image.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display includes two displays.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second processor is further configured to store the second image before receiving the first image.

11 . A method for controlling a display in an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving a request for displaying information formed of a first image and a second image, the first image corresponding to a partial region of the information, and the second image corresponding to a background region of the information; in response to the request, transmitting the first image; storing the second image in a memory; and displaying the first image together with the second image.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the second image is stored before receiving the request for displaying the information.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the transmitting of the first image further comprises transmitting the first image from a first processor to a second processor in response to the received request.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first processor comprises a micro controller unit (MCU) and the second processor comprises a display driver integrated circuit (DDI).

15 . The method of claim 13 ,
wherein the first processor comprises an application processor (AP) and the second processor comprises a micro controller unit (MCU), and wherein the second processor is integral to the first processor.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first processor comprises an application processor (AP) and the second processor comprises a display driver IC (DDI).

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the transmitting of the first image comprises transmitting the first image to the second processor when the first processor enters a sleep mode.

18 . The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the first image includes header information, vector information, and pixel information, and wherein the displaying of the first image together with the second image further comprises determining the partial region corresponding to the first image based on the header information, the vector information, and the pixel information.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising, when a third processor equipped in an external electronic device that is connected with the electronic device receives the request for displaying the information, receiving, at the third processor, the first image in response to the request,
wherein the displaying of the first image together with the second image further comprises displaying, by the third processor, the received first image together with the second image.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the third processor comprises a micro controller unit (MCU).

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jang Dongjun
• Lee Yongman
• Yoo Daehyun
• Cho Jaehun
• Choi Jaewon
• Kim Soohyung

Classifications

• G06F3/14 Primary

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G06T11/60 Primary

  Creating or editing images; Combining images with text · CPC title

• G09G2310/04

  Partial updating of the display screen · CPC title

• G09G2340/10

  Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels · CPC title

• G09G2330/021

  Power management, e.g. power saving · CPC title